Air-inlet valve.



, PATENTED JAN. 20, 1903. H. S. BENTON.

AIR INLET VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 4, 1902.

I0 MODEL.

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UNETEJD Sterne Fa'rnm'r OFFicE.

HERBERT S. RENTON, OF BROOKLYN, NEWV YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JACOB MANNESOHMIDT, JR., OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

AIR-INLET VALVE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 718,657, dated January 20, 1903.

Application filed August 4, 1902. Serial No. 118,228. (No model.) my

To all whom it may concern: by gaskets d above and below it and fitting Be it known that I, HERBERT S. BENTON, a into and covering an opening in the top of citizen of the United States, residing in the the casing, and this opening being located borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings immediately above the valve, so as to permit 5 and State of New York, have invented certain inspection of the valve through the glass new and useful Improvements in Air-Inlet plate cl upon removal of the cap 0.

Valves, of which the following is a specifica- The valve is carried by a frame 6, in which tion, reference being bad therein to the acis also formed the valve-seat, this frame becompanying drawings. iug shaped to fit into an enlargement or :0 My invention relates to air-inlet valves pocket f, formed in the casing, so that it may such as are employed for the air-inlets of soil be dropped into such pocket and will be held or drain pipes or conduits of buildings for therein by the cover, glass plate, and gaskets. the purpose of admitting air to ventilate such This construction is exceedingly simple and pipes or conduits. It is desirable that such permits the valve and frame to be inserted or 15 valves shall afford free admission of air, but removed as a unit upon the removal of the shall prevent the escape of air or gases from cover a and glass plate 01. the pipe or conduit, and according to my in- The valve is shown in the form of a flat vention the valve when in open position afplate, which may be of aluminium or other fords practically no obstruction to the passuitable material, with ears or lugsj bent or 2o sage to be ventilated, the open valve giving struck up therefrom, these ears or lugs repractically the full cross-sectional area of the ceiving a pivot-pin h, whereby the valve is interior of the passage in which the valve is pivoted at apoint intermediate of its length. located. The frame e is shown as also provided with My invention also has for its objects simlugs t' for the pivot-pin h, and the valve-seat 25 plicity of construction, durability, and reliais on the inner face of the casing above the bility of action. pivot-pin and on the outer face of the casing My invention includes various improvebelow the pivot-pin. The shoulders e,formed ments in the construction of such valves. by the tops of, the lower part of the valve- I will now particularly describe the conseat, act as stops to limit the opening move- 3o struction embodying myinvention illustrated meut of the valve and determine the normal in the accompanying drawings, forming part open position thereof. (Shown in broken hereof, and will thereafter point out my inlines in Fig. l and in full lines in Fig. 3.) vention in claims. The frame 6 maybe made of aluminium or Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section other suitable material in a single piece or 35 of a valve and easing embodying my invencasting, so as to be of light weight and pra'c tion. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section ,tically incorrodible. of the same, taken on a plane indicated by The pivotal axis of the valve is offset from Htherline 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig.3 is a perspective the face 'of the valve, and the valve, by rea- View of the valve and seat with the valve in son of the fact that its Weight is disposed on 0 4o normalopen position, one side of its pivotal axis, tends always to A return-bend inlet a is shown which conmm e toward theoopen position, (shown in full stitutes the casing for the valve an; ap ylines in Fig. 3 and in broken lines in Fig. 1,) ed to be Con e e at its end t0 3 -p pe as thereby its center of gravity is moved to other P p P to be Ventilated and l's lowest position. The portion of the valve 9;, 45 p to the atmosphere all its t above its pivotal axis is greater in area of as Shown, a Screen 5 is p d at 'Elne surface than the portion of the valve below air end Of the inlet prevent tamperlng ith its pivotal axis, being shown as of greater the valve. length and also of larger area by reason of The casing is shown as Providedm1 cap the fact that it is of rectangular outline, while I00 50 c, which'is suitably remOVabIY cla p d 1: the portion of the valve below its pivotal axis a glass plated, this glass plate belng shielded i f i l tli nd th 1arger upper portion is obviously of somewhat greater weight than the smaller lower portion, tending to hold the valve open. The tendency of the valve to remain open is counteracted to some extent and so as to produce a delicate poising of the valve with a normal tendency toward open position by an adjustable counterweight, shown as consisting of a nut 70, threaded upon the rod 1, this rod Z projecting from the valve at the face of the valve which is uppermost when the valve is open. The arrangement and adjustability of this counterweight permits the counterbalance to be nicely adjusted, so that the valve will move under light pressure.

Under normal conditions the valve is open for the free admission of air to ventilate the drain or soil pipe or other part to which the valve is connected, and the tendency of any pressure upon the valve from incoming air, whether the valve is open or closed, is to open the valve, for the reason that the part of the valve opening inward-the upper part of the valve-is of larger area than the part of the valve opening outward-the lower part of the valve-and for the further reason that incoming currents of air are largely directed by the casing upwardly against the lower part of the valve and to some extent downwardly against the upper part of the valve. So long, therefore, as there is no appreciable circulation or movement of air within the casing the valve will remain open ready for the free admission of air, and the tendency of incoming air will always be to hold the valve open, so that the stronger the current of infiowing air the greater will be the force tending to hold the valve open. It will further be noted that with the valve open there is practically no obstruction to the inward movement of air, the open valve afiording an opening of practically the full cross-sectional area of the interior of the casing. Should, however, the movement of air or gas within the casing be an outward movement, the valve will be at once closed,not only by reason of the fact that the outwardly-moving part of the valve is of the larger diameter, but also by reason of the fact that the casing will direct all outwardlymoving currents largely upwardly against the upper or outwardly-moving part of the valve and also to some extent downwardly against the lower or inwardly-moving part of the valve. Thus the valve will instantly close to prevent the outflow of air or gas from the soil-pipe and will remain closed so long as there is an outward pressure, "thi preventing the escape of deleterious or illsmelling-gases, and will open as soon as this pressure is removed and permit the free entrance ot air to ventilate the soil-pipe.

While the return-bend construction of casing appears to be the most advantageous to the realization of the advantages of my invention, it is of course obvious that other forms of easing may be employed and that the construction and arrangement of the valve may be modified within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An air-inlet device comprising a casing having an air-inlet opening and a valve-seat, and a valve pivoted on an axis intermediate of the length of its valve-faces and having a greater area in the portion of the valve which moves outwardly to close the valve than in the portion of the valve which moves inwardly to close the valve and having its weight disposed so that it will normally assume an open position and being so balanced in open normal position that the portion of greater area extends inwardly away from the air-inlet opening and the portion of lesser area extends outwardly toward the air-inlet opening, to provide in normal position of the valve an opening through the valve seat which is practically free and unobstructed.

2. An air-inlet device comprising a casing and valve-seat, and a valve pivoted on an axis intermediate of its length and freely movable on such axis and having a greater area above its pivotal axis than below its pivotal axis, the part above its pivotal axis moving inwardly to open the valve and the part below its pivotal axis moving inwardly to close the valve, and having its weight disposed so that it will normally assume an open and approximately horizontal position but will be movable by light outward pressure to closed position.

3. An air-inlet device comprising a returnbend casing having an air-inlet opening and a valve-seat, and a valve located in the return-bend and pivoted on an axis intermediate of the length of the faces of the valve, and having a greater area in the portion of the valvewhich moves outwardly to close the valve than in the portion of the valve which moves inwardly to close the valve, and havingits weight disposed so that it will normally assume an open position but will be movable by light outward pressure to closed position and being so balanced in open normal position that the portion of greater area extends inwardly away from the airinlet opening and the portion of lesser area extends outwardly toward the air-inlet opening, to provide in normal position of the valve an opening through the valve seat which is practically free and unobstructed.

4:- An air-inlet valve in combination with a casing and valve-seat, the valve being/piyoted on an axis intermediate of thcl'enfl (FY9116 yij and having a-greater area in the ortion of thevaiwe which moves outwardly 1 6 close the valve than in the portion of the alve which moves inwardly to close the valve,

d having an adjustable counterbalance 011' th part of the valve having the face of smaller area 5 An air-inlet valve comprising the plate 9 with lugs thereon, in combination with the trame e,having the val ve-seat formed therein,

the pivot-pin h, passing through the lugs j and seated in the frame e, the frame 6 having shoulders e to act as stops for the valve in open position, and a casing for the valve having a pocket adapted to receive the frame 6, such casing having an opening to permit the insertion and removal of the frame and valve, and a removable cover for such opening, substantially as set forth.

6. In an air-inlet valve, the combination, with a casing and a frame in the casing having an approximately vertical valve-seat, of a pivot-pin extending transversely across the valve-seat at a point below its mid-length, the upper part of the valve-seat, above the pivot, being located at one side of the said frame and the lower part, below the pivot, being located at the other side of the frame, and a valve hung on said pivot and balanced in approximately horizontal position, the up wardly-closing portion of the valve being of greater area than the downwardly closing portion and corresponding in size with the upper part of the valve-opening above the pivot, While the smaller portion corresponds in size with the lower part of the valve-opening.

7. In-an air-inlet valve, the combination, with a casing provided with an approximately vertical guide pocket or groove, and a frame guided in said pocket in the casing, said frame having a valve seat, the upper portion of which is located at the opposite side of the said frame to the lower portion of the valveseat, of a pivot extending transversely across the valve-seat at a point between the said upper and lower portions of the valve-seat, the upper portion of the valve-opening being larger in area than the lower portion of the valve-opening, and a valve hung on said pivot and balanced in approximately horizontal position transversely of the said guide-pocket, the upwardly-closing portion of the valve being of greater area than the downwardly-closing portion thereof, and corresponding in size with the upper part of the valve-opening, while the smaller portion corresponds in size with the lower part of the valve-opening.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HERBERT S. BENTON.

Witnesses:

HENRY D. WILLIAMS, HERBERT I-I. GIBBS. 

